Education

Cañon City High School senior transforms passion for art into a business

By Sara Knuth

The Daily Record

Posted:
11/29/2016 09:42:01 PM MST

Cañon City High School senior Luke Chisholm poses with a piece of artwork that he created through his new business, Luke Chisholm Wood Prints and Photography. (Sara Knuth / Daily Record)

Within one day, Luke Chisholm transformed from a high school senior interested in photography to a small business owner.

After posting a photo of a piece of artwork on social media one day, he began to receive praise and, eventually, offers to buy his work.

"By the end of the day, I had received eight orders for wood prints totaling in a net profit of $200," he wrote in an essay that will be submitted in a publication for Junior Achievement, a business-minded education program.

Today, two months into owning a business, Chisholm, a student at Cañon City High School, said he's received 11 orders total, charging anywhere from $35 to $160 for his work.

His business, conducted via Facebook with a page called "Luke Chisholm Wood Prints and Photography," features artwork and photographs printed onto slabs of wood.

In most cases, Chisholm is responsible for the product from start to finish, with artwork made in Photoshop and printed by hand onto wood he shaped himself.

In other cases, he does custom work with photographs sent in from customers.

"The one I did for a friend was a picture of his parents at their wedding for an anniversary gift," he said. "The rest have actually been my own images."

Chilsholm's passion for his business started long before it officially opened, and even longer before he could consider himself an entrepreneur.

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After he started using a photo editing app on his mom's iPhone six years ago, Chisholm said he became hooked on photography, taking the time to teach himself editing techniques on a variety of programs.

But when it came to starting his own business, Chisholm relied on his teachers to move forward. For Chisholm, this was especially true after Shad Johnson, a member of the Cañon City School Board, gave a presentation to his government class through Junior Achievement.

Once Johnson saw Chisholm's artwork, he asked if he could purchase a piece.

"That is a sell-able, marketable, wonderful artistic product," Johnson said, referring to the piece he purchased.

For Chisholm, his small business successes also came from his grandfather and CCHS teacher Mike Geesaman, who lended Photoshop and a school printer to him while creating the business.

"I wouldn't have wanted to do this without inspiration from teachers," Chisholm said.

And for his government teacher, Dan Coppa, seeing the business transform has been rewarding.

"Just seeing him be able to create something like this on his own, and create a business, it's cool to see," Coppa said. "Because one of the things we talk about in class is the opportunities that are out there."

That's also been part of the school's recent shift in curriculum. With a new program called "Pathways," the school is emphasizing getting real-world experiences while still in high school.

Looking toward his future, Chisholm said it would be just fine he if ends up going out of business, though he would also like to see it grow.

"If it doesn't go much further, then I will have enjoyed it," he said, "because honestly, it's a lot of fun and I enjoy doing it."

After graduation, he plans to attend Metropolitan State University of Denver and later transfer to the University of Colorado Denver to study architecture.

"I actually want to be an architect as a career, but I would always love to do photography and graphic design as a hobby," Chisholm said, adding that there were plenty of times he could have given that hobby up.

"But if I would've given up, I wouldn't have done that," he said. "And I surely wouldn't be here. So, I don't regret any of it."

Chisholm said the best way for customers to reach him is over Facebook. He added that he's accepting orders for Christmas up to Dec. 10.

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